Simple Happiness

Chapter Four

Ethan was twenty-five years old. He was working for the Government in the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. He had an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Nairobi. He was one of the best programmers in Kenya. That was what made him stand out from the rest during the recruitment process for the job in the ministry two years ago.

Ethan had been to Mombasa several times for both personal and work-related reasons. This time he was there on official duty. He preferred traveling to and from the coastal town by air because it was the quickest means of transport. However, just this once he decided to travel by train. He thanked the heavens for guiding him to make that decision. Otherwise, he couldn't have met the fascinating woman seated next to him.

Liz became restless as she tried to lay her head at a comfortable angle on Ethan's shoulder with her eyes closed. Ethan watched her quietly and smiled. She suddenly woke up and realized that she was leaning on somebody's shoulder. She slightly opened her eyes and noticed that she was borrowing her neighbor's shoulder. She didn't move for a while.

Wow, he smells good, she thought. She took in his cologne fragrance once more before sitting upright. She wiped the corners of her mouth, in case she drooled while sleeping. She then took out her mirror and retouched her make-up. They were nearing Nairobi. She couldn't go out looking like a clown. Ethan looked at her and smiled.

"What?" she asked.

"You drooled on me like hell."

She blushed. "I am very sorry," she said. "I don't know how I ended up on your shoulder."

" Don't worry. I was just kidding," he said, looking at her shy face with amusement. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Liz...Lissette," she said.

"That name suits you. It's beautiful just like you."

She smirked. "Ha- such a flirt!"

"No. It's true," he said. "My name is Ethan."

"Pleasure to meet you, Ethan."

"The pleasure is mine," Ethan said, then remembered he had to get her number. If he didn't get it now, how else was he going to reach her? Tracing her with only one name would be difficult. His talent in research wouldn't help. He had to do something. He quickly pressed the power button on his phone. His screen died.

"Lissette."

"Mm." She looked at him with innocent eyes and with tightly pursed lips.

"Can I call you Liz?"

"Of course, yes," she said. "All my friends call me Liz."

He smiled and stared at her.

"What," Liz said.

"Are we now friends?"

"Hmm...we're not quite there," she said. "We just met today. Why do you ask?"

"Because you said that all your friends call you Liz," he said. "You said it is okay for me to call you Liz. And honestly, I would really like us to be friends."

Is he serving himself on a plate for me to eat him? She thought. "Hahaha..." She shook her head. "Hahaha..."

Why is she laughing? Ethan wondered. Did I say something stupid or funny?

"Hahaha... Liz, you're so dirty."

"What did you say?" Ethan asked.

"Ah..." She awkwardly smiled at him and straightened her top. "Did I say something?" she asked, raising her brow and pouting her lips. "No, I didn't say anything. Maybe it was another passenger if your mind is not playing tricks on you."

Ethan touched his chin, smiled and shook his head. She's really an interesting person, he thought.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Liz asked.

"How did you know that I'm looking at you if you weren't looking at me too?"

Liz breathed heavily then clenched her fist and pursed her lips. "Forget it," she said. "Were you going to tell me something before you asked if you could call me Liz?"

"Ah," he looked confused for a second then quickly pulled himself together. Why do I get lost in her eyes every time I look at her? He pondered. "Can you lend me your phone for a moment?" he asked. "My battery has died, and I need to call someone."

"Sure. Here." She passed him her phone. He dialed his number and hit the call button. The call did not go through because as the telephone operator said the subscriber was not available.

"The phone is switched off," he said and handed her phone back to her. Deep inside, he was rejoicing. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

He caught Liz's attention. "What did you just say?" she asked.

"Mm-nothing," he said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He just had to wait until they got off the train and say their goodbyes then he will switch his phone on and save her number. He smiled quietly.

They arrived at the train station in Nairobi a few minutes later. As Liz quietly dragged her suitcase towards the exit, Ethan followed her. "Liz, wait," he said. She looked over her shoulder.

"Why is he coming after me? She wondered. Did I accidentally take something that belongs to him?

"Ah, you walk so fast," he said when he got to her.

"But I stopped when you called me," she said. "Did I take something that does not belong to me?" She looked at her hands. She only had her handbag on her left hand. The other hand was the one dragging her suitcase. She shifted her innocent glance at him. "I don't think so. What have you lost?"

"Nothing." He dropped his light luggage on the ground and took her hands in his to stop her from searching for what he had supposedly lost. She looked him in the eye then looked at their hands. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, sorry," he took his hands away and continued, "Where are you going?"

She scrutinized him, something that made him look away for some seconds and smiled sheepishly. Seeing him smile, she wondered if something was cooking in his mind.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, maybe we could take the same taxi if we are going the same way."

What's his plan? She pondered.

She quietly assessed him. He was good looking and looked harmless, but she wasn't going to risk it. What if he was a serial killer? Well, in many movies she had watched, serial killers looked like normal people. Many of them were very good looking.

"What's the problem?" he asked when she saw her quietly staring at him.

She shrugged then shook her head. "No-nothing," she said. She took her phone out of her handbag and took a few steps away from him. She held the phone against her ear. "Hello, Sunshine, I have just arrived in Nairobi. I'm on my way to your place."

"What did you say?" she asked, looking at Ethan, who twitched his eyebrows in confusion. She hung up then said, "I have to go. Sunshine needs me." She dragged her luggage and hailed a taxi as Ethan followed her, still confused. "What happened?"

"Goodbye, Ethan," she said, then got into the taxi. "Driver, let's go!" She smiled and waved at Ethan.

***